


a very un-Hargreeves Christmas

by kittybenzedrine



Category: Umbrella Academy
Genre: Christmas, Family, ambiguous gay moment
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-27
Updated: 2014-11-27
Packaged: 2018-02-27 03:38:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,225
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2677610
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kittybenzedrine/pseuds/kittybenzedrine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It has been three years since there had been an actual Christmas in the Hargreeves home, and Ben was determined to fix that.</p>
            </blockquote>





	a very un-Hargreeves Christmas

**Author's Note:**

> Completely unbeta'd. Please let me know if you find any mistakes!

Christmas wasn't much celebrated at the Academy.

Of course, when they were all kids, Mom anyways made sure they got a gift of some sort, whether it be a stuffed animal or candies, they at least had something. And bless her, she always picked just the right thing for her children.

Once they hit thirteen, though, it had pretty much stopped. They were all pretty sure it was because Dad- er, the Monocle, told their mother it was softening them up or something. She'd still made a great breakfast and dinner and they'd sing some very out of tune Christmas carols at night, but it just wasn't quite the same.

It had been three years since there had been an actual Christmas in the Hargreeves home, and Ben was determined to fix that.

 

 

"I'm very certain we don't own a Christmas tree anymore," Pogo told Ben with a frown. They were in the lab, and the coffee pot was being a dick today.

'Note to self,' Ben thought. 'Don't bother Pogo before he's had his morning coffee'.

"Oh," he said quietly. "Tree's gone, okay, no problem. But um, not even any ornaments? Maybe in the attic?" Pogo shot him a look, and he got the idea he needed to head out of the lab.

He sat in his room for a bit, trying to think. He really needed to go out and do some window shopping and to get a synthetic tree, but of course, he and Diego were the only ones without licenses. Diego had... severe roadrage, and that was just putting it lightly. Ben couldn't parallel park for shit and had a lead foot. Hm. Who could he trust with this? Who wouldn't blab?

 

 

"Okay, wait, what are we going to the store for?" Vanya asked as they went to her car. She unlocked it with one hand as she slipped her sunglasses on with the other. He'd just quietly asked her if he could take her to the mall, and refused to give an explanation until they were away from the Academy.

He waited until they were both on the highway before he started. "Okay, so I trust you the most, and I'm really counting on you not to tell." His sister raised a brow, but kept her eyes on the road and waited for him to go on.

"So, I know we haven't had Christmas in like three years, and I started thinking about it, like, months ago. And, like, when we were kids, it was always really fun and a lot of my favorite memories are of Christmas. That's what got me really thinking. Like, why don't we have a nice Christmas again? So I've been saving my allowance since the middle of June, and since Pogo says we don't have one anymore, I really want to get a tree and ornaments, and get a present for everyone."

She stayed quiet, before simply saying, "Repeat that in less words, please."

He let out an exasperated sigh, clutching the armrest as she turned a sharp corner. "We need a tree and ornaments, and I want to go Christmas shopping."

She let out a laugh. "That's what you wanted?" His shoulders stooped a bit, waiting for her to bitch at him for wasting her time, or make fun of him for being a little kid. "All you had to do was tell me. I'm always up for new stuff."

 

They got a two foot tall tree. And silver ornaments that absolutely shined. The shopping had been tedious, and Vanya was a bit mad when he told her she didn't get to go do the actual present shopping with him (hey, she wanted to know what everyone else was getting), but didn't argue when he lent her ice cream money.

And he let her pick out all of the wrapping paper and bows, which was a small win on her part.

She helped him load everything into the trunk and backseat, neglecting to ask questions about the very questionable gifts she'd seen. The drive home was quiet, and his wallet was very nearly wiped out, but it was the most fun he'd had in a while.

As she pulled through the gates, she agreed to help him get all of it into the house unseen. Which actually turned out to not be that hard. The old man showed up about ten minutes after they'd gotten the last of it to his room, wanting to know where they went. They told him the truth about the mall, but neglected the rest of the details.

 

 

Abhijat almost ruined one present, absolutely refusing to buy it for the teen. He begged and pleaded, and promised that there was a reason he couldn't tell him who or what it was for. By some miracle, Ben managed to convince him that it wasn't for himself, so Abhijat buckled and bought it for him, swearing that he wouldn't tell the old man about it. Thank God he was a good, trustable kid.

 

 

He stayed up until two in the morning wrapping everything and setting up the tiny tree in advance in the corner of his room, even stringing the lights on it. The presents were a bitch and a half to wrap, but he toughed through it. Name tags were stuck on, everything was stacked away, and he waited until there were no sounds in the house to take everything downstairs in slow, quiet trips.

It only took four trips, actually, since the tentacle monsters under his skin decided to be cooperative, but it was still tedious, especially since he'd been up for nearly 24 hours, and he did bad with lack of sleep.

It went seamlessly. Someone got up, but they didn't come downstairs. The tree was set up, and each ornament and candy cane just seemed perfect where they went. Everything was stacked around and under the tree, if it was small enough. Large stuff in the back, normal sized on the sides, and tiny stuff underneath.

Tree plugged in, every light worked. He straightened the tiny angel on top, and on an impulse, he dodged to the dining room. He plucked a candy out of the candy bowl. He went back to his tree, and placed the candy between the gap in the angel's clasped hands. With a heavy, happy sigh, he drug himself back upstairs and went to bed.

 

 

As she did every Christmas morning, Mom woke them up at the asscrack of dawn for an amazing breakfast. From the smell of it, there was at least bacon, sausage, and cinnamon rolls. She sounded far more excited than normal, and Ben snuggled deeper into his cocoon of blankets and tentacles with a big smile on his face. Mom must have seen it already seen it.

He went back to sleep until he heard rapid footsteps up the stairs. Someone banged on the door, and threw it open when he didn't reply.

Vanya poked her head in. "Hey numbnuts, get up! Everyone's downstairs and they're all super excited."

He got up with heavy feet and pulled some pajamas on, and lumbered his way downstairs.

 

 

Everyone but the Monocle was downstairs, and all of his siblings were crowded around the tiny tree in their pajamas. Pogo and Abhijat looked mildly surprised. Even Kraken and Spaceboy were impressed.

Mom wore a smile a mile wide. Her arms creaked as she placed her hands on her hips. "Alright, alright. I know you're all excited, but this will all be here in half an hour. But breakfast will be cold. Let's all eat first."

Breakfast, though, was a mess of excited chatter, and they all figured out Ben had done it by process of elimination. He just shrugged off their questions with, well, a shrug, and his embarrassed, red cheeked, icing smeared smile.

And Klaus held his hand under the table, that was awesome.

They all shoveled their food, and in twenty minutes, they were all back into the front room. They all seated themselves, as Ben volunteered to pass everything out.

He passed nearly everything out, but made sure to give their mother hers first. It was a silent, mutual agreement to let her do hers first. He sat down next to her, and delicately unwrapped it for her. He could tell that she was uncomfortable because of her limbs, plus all the cooking she'd just done, but let her open the box itself.

Her eyes welled up with tears the moment she saw the lipstick on top. It was her favorite shade. A deep, wine red. Underneath, headbands, made specifically not to squeeze behind the ears. And beneath all of that?

A pretty blue dress. Light blue with buttons on the top, and a flowing, dark blue from the waist down.

He was abruptly pulled into a tight hug, and received several wine red kisses all over his face. "Oh, my sweet Benny baby, thank you so much. It's so perfect," she told him with a sniffle. He gave her a big smile.

He turned to face everyone else, leaning his head on his mother's shoulder. "Well guys? Open everything up!"

 

Abhijat was the first to get his open. He looked at the plastic card curiously, then the white haired boy.

"I didn't really see anything I knew you would like, so it's a $100 gift card, good at any store within city limits."

Abhijat gave him a rare smile, and a small thanks.

Luther and Vanya got theirs opened at the same time. Spaceboy marveled at the four inch thick astrology book, and the glow stars Ben knew would be stuck all over the place by the end of the day. Vanya ran her fingers over the jar of 100 picks, and the three packs of guitar strings he'd taped to the bottom. Oh yes, he knew all about the Prime8's.

Diego tore both of his packages open with a short laugh both times. The knife set was a given, but still pleasant, and the cookbook was a nice surprise. You didn't pick up fancy knife tricks without picking up some cooking tricks along the way.

Pogo gave him a thumbs up when he opened up his present, and found some very, very nice coffee. Very expensive, very delicious coffee. "I almost got you a pogo stick as a gag gift," Ben told him with a cheeky grin.

Allison opened hers, which was the largest thing he'd gotten. Solid wood, shiny, strong latches. She popped them open, and opened the briefcase shaped wood.

Colored pencils, oil pastels, water colors, paintbrushes, blending tools, makers, and even a wooded anatomical doll hidden in a compartment in the back. She was absolutely in awe. By the time she had the sketch book unwrapped, her smile looked nearly painful from how big it was.

Klaus let out a pleased 'hell yeah', as he tried on his new sunglasses. Sensible, sturdy, black, and the absolute darkest lenses he could find. Totally would hide his red eyes when he was high. And he absolutely adored the boots that came with it.

 

The only present that remained was for the old man, and speak of the devil, he came into the room just as Ben was about to ask where he was.

Before the Monocle could so much as get a word out, Ben spoke. "So it's been a while since we had a Christmas and things have been really tense this year, so I wanted to do something nice for everyone. And I know you think Christmas is a waste of time, but I really wanted to do it anyway, so," he was up, pulling his father's gift out and bring it to him. "I got you something anyways. I know you'll like it. Just be careful, it's super breakable."

The Monocle regarded his son for a moment, before deciding to humor him and open the heavy, solid but somehow moving... whatever it was. If he went through this much trouble, it was at least worth looking at before reprimanding him... Or, maybe not.

Whiskey. Very, very aged whiskey that was very hard to obtain. And whiskey that the man liked very much.

The white haired boy was already back beside his mother, chatting excitedly with Diego about trying out one of the new recipes for dinner that night. Quietly, their father went to his study. They had no mission today, and his wife always insisted on letting them have a nice birthday and Christmas. Bah. The alcohol was good. He'd let the children have this one.

 

 

"So, Ben," Allison said, grabbing his attention. "Since you got us all something, what did you want for Christmas?"

His automatic answer was ice cream and he laughed. "No, I'm kidding. I don't want anything. Cheesy as it is, seeing all of you so happy was a gift enough."

They all crowded into the kitchen that night with Diego's new cookbook, and helped their mom cook. It was a very messy, disorganized dinner, but fun nonetheless. Half of it was lightly burnt, and very misshapen, but they all enjoyed it regardless.

 

 

When Ben snuck into the kitchen later for a midnight snack, he found the freezer that had been semi-empty that night, now all of the way full with his favorite peppermint ice cream. Hell yeah.

 

**Author's Note:**

> From the way he's talked about by his siblings, he's a big, innocent sweetie baby. Also I've been up all day watching Christmas movies and making pies for thanksgiving tomorrow, so I'm in the holiday spirit. Merry holidays :D


End file.
